Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-09
GREENLAND.
IxrERrsrIso ACCOUNT OF ExpLoRA.
TONS OF cTvIL-EReIREER
PEARY.
The True Solution is to Take an Overland
Route-From Drisco Bay to Fran
els Joseph Bay.
National Republican,

National Republican,
| Ciyil.Enpincer u. L. Peary. OF the tinted
States navy, who left this city last spring
for The purpose Of making certain exDlora.
tions in Greenland, has just returned home.
MIR, Peary was seen last evening 10y Re
publican reporter, and asked 10 explain the
PURPOSES Of his explorations. how far they
have been realized, and TO detail the Incl
dents Of his trip.
"hs YOU know" he begau. "the north
! ern norton Of Greenlqnd is unexplored.
| EXPEDITIONS which nave been sent out in
the past 10 seek Information Of this region
have followed the coast Inc. and the cha
racter Of this route has prevented satis-
Gctory advancement. II occurred to
me some time ago that the true So
luton Of the proper melhod OF Green
land explorations was 10 take an over
land loute. This believed practi-
cable, and my journey has been for
the purpose OF verifying this belief. The
result l. that, instead OF the interior OF
! Greenland being an impossible country, 1t
is one Of the finest highways under the sun.
/ By that mean II possesses the best condi-
! tons for making Roadway for properly
equipped party. satisfied myself last sum-
mer that this is a fact. have satisfied my
self that | could cross over the country
| from Disco bay TO Francis Joseph bay and
back In the same summer This is dis
lance OF about 100 miles, out aud return. n
81 started on the trip last Nav. leaving
! st. Johns on the 22d OF that month, and
arriving at Godhayen, Disco island. the
capital OF the northern inspectorate OF
| Greenland, on June 9th. Owing to the
great prevalence OF ice In Disco bay and
the delay in hiring natives and boats did
not reach Pakitsok FiOrd, on the coast OF
| the mainland OF Greenland, until the 10Th
| Of the month. | was unable e. get the ma
| tiyes TO go on the ice from the fact OF their
suverstitious horror Of the great gls-
cier, which they people with ghosts
| devils, and spirits OF murdered people.
| So bad 10 continue my journey with but
one companion, young Dane, and to.
| gether we bad to do all the manual labor OF
getting the sedges up to the ice-ield. We
carried them across the mountains, dis
lance Of three or four miles, TO the glacier.
| Then we dragged them over the ragged
surface OF the ice, which sloped upward,
until we reached an elevation OF about
1920 feet above the sea level. j
did not depend upon getting sledges from
the natives, but had them made in Wash
ington under my direction for the special
work for which they were used, and do
not believe we would have been successful
in penetrating fifty miles into the interior IL
this precautIon had not been taken. My
plan was to dispense with dogs In dragging
them, but wanted TO secure natives for this
purpose, believing them superior for the
work. As have said, was unable to get
the natives TO go with us.
Having reached an elevation OF 2,200
miles we made a start toward the interior,
but a heavy snowstorm caused a delay OF
several days. We started, and having gone
several miles, TetTaced the way, and when
the storm was over made a fresh start, and
kept travelling at night and sleeping by day
until we reached a point one hundred
miles from the edge Of the glacier. The
night marches were made I'm order to
avoid the glare OF the sun, while on the
other hand we had the warm day
for sleeping, which was more comfort
able than taking the cold night for it.
During the last two nights we advanced in
the face OF snOw-st0rm, which finally pre-
vented lis from continuing the journey.
We then took TO our travelling bags, which
we kept for two days. This was at an ele-
yation Of seven thousand five hundred feet
above the sea level, and was one hundred
miles from the coast. But one explorer has
ever gone farther inland than we did, and
the altitude we reached is higher than ever
before attained there. Baron Nordenskiold,
in 1888, started from Auleitsiyik FiOrd,
about eight miles below Pakitsok Fjord,
and went inland distance with party OF
about dozen, two OF whom penetrated
over one hundred miles. sss3
"When we first assembled the great gla-
cieT We found il very steep, and traYersed
in every direction by gullies, creylces, and
canOns. When the ice-field proper is reach
ed only The crevices were seen, ramifyine
in every direction over the ice. Further
inland the ice was covered with thin layer
OF snow. which got deeper as we proceeded,
and the fluctuations OF the surface grew
longer and fiatter. As | have said,
rapid progress could be made over
this surface by properlY-equpped
party, and / believe the northern
boundaries could be thus reached more
quickly and cheaper than in any other way.
This Is, of course, taking for granted the
ice extends TO the northern border of
Greenland. Then, as the altitude increases
toward the centre Of the glacier, the out
look for the explorer in viewing the coast
is superior TO what it had by following the
coast line in boats. The probability is that
in the centre OF Greenland there is an ele-
walton Of no less than 5000 and probably
10000 feet above the sea level"
Continuing the account, Mr.. Peary said
that the return to the coast was not espe.
cially eventful. The sledges were aShed |
together, and rubber blanket being put up
for sail, they gradually descended the side
OF the glacier to the coast. At first the snow
would only support the sledges, which the
explorers guided as the wind dragged them
along; but as they proceeded and ice was
reached they were able TO seat themselves
on them, enjoying an extended tObOggan.
During one entire night they slid
down the glaciers side toward the
coast, the wind in the sails ac-
celebrating the speed. When they arrived !
at the edge OF the glacier they bad to reach |
the coast 10y way OF the mountains, lower
ing their sledges down the cliffs into the !
valley. He then followed the coast up for |
a distance OF eighty miles to TOssukat0k |
and Kirak glaciers, and visited the fossil |
beds Of AtanekerdIuk, whence he returned |
TO GOdhaven. He was three months in |
Greenland. His trip inland over the |
glacier, when be penetrated 100 miles, Oc-
cupied twenty days. His return home by |
u wbaler took two and hall months.
Dir. Peary's trip was made in personal |
capacity only. Being questioned whether |
he intended renewing his exploratiUnsneXt |
summer, he answered that he had formed |
no such plans and could not say what he |
might de. He characterizes his success, |
which is remarkable in many respects, as |
" fairly well for greenborn." He laughs |
ingly remarked that he did not have the |
north pole craze, but says he believes |
knowledge Of the northern part Of Green
land would be valuable in many respects |
scientifically, and believes he sees an easy
method OF attaining il.
OLD FONrAINEBLEAU.